Bleeding Hearts (A Legacy of Kain Love Story)
by Shadefang127
Summary: She sees him as both a man and a monster, and he sees her as both a beauty and his prey. But the strange bond that Kain and Elana form will evolve into something neither of them expected. Sorry that it was short, but I have limited characters. The actual story ill be much, much better I promise. Takes place during the events of "Blood Omen 2". Enjoy! {Rated M for Safety's sake}
1. Both A Beauty and My Prey

_**AN: So, this is my first ever fanfiction and I'd appreciate some nice, friendly feedback on it. I've been rather disappointed at the lack of proper romance fics within this particular series, which is what inspired me to write this. I'm rather fond of Kain as a character, personally :)**_

_**~S.F. 127**_

_**~:Chapter One:~**_

_**Both A Beauty and My Prey**_

The Slums of Meridian were no doubt the most run down section city, where murder was quite prevalent and the residents lived in poverty. Thugs, with their brutality and numbers, had carved out their own niche here in this forsaken place by coercing out of the unfortunate townsfolk and slaughtering them for their threadbare belongings come nightfall. Their victim's screams were such a common utterance in the hollow silence of the night that nobody paid much heed to them other than interpreting them as a sign that they should seek immediate shelter. Venturing out into the streets after the sun had long since fallen was a suicidal wish to any unfortunate soul. Few outsiders dared to venture here, and they are either considered too rich to deign themselves or some of the few intelligent folk. The Seraphan Guards who could often be observed patrolling the outskirts and main archways were rarely ever called as it was known that they did not waste their time on the petty affairs of the peasants and alley scum. Vampire threats were placed much farther up on their list of concerns to be dealt with.

Down a long, dank alleyway, an extremely faint glow could be seen where the end was assumed to have been. It was the dying light of a snuffed out fire with charred coals laying scattered about at intervals not far from where the flame had once been burning. The darkened form of a rickety wooden shack could been seen supporting itself against the wall of an adjacent building, a slight clattering noise eminating from it as a gust of wind rolled smoothly overtop. Snaking down a lower section of the wall was a smear of blood, some of the bright, scarlet liquid dashed along the wood as well. Slumped down in an awkward position against the cold, hard ground was a bedraggled young girl, clothed in what would typically be considered men's attire. A steady stream of scarlet ran down her cheek from a horrid gash along her temple, forming a small pool beneath her pale face. Her eyes were squeezed shut, and, to the untrained eye, she would have appeared dead. Her chest barely made any perceptible motion that would indicate breathing of any sort as her breaths were deathly shallow, hardly enough to provide her body the neccessary oxygen it required. She did not stir even for a curious feline that had stopped to investigate as it went about its nightly business. She could not define in her state of disorientation the sound of heavy, measured footsteps that were steadly marching their way in her direction, unaware that it was the very man who could both save her life and end it as well.

He had lost track of how long he'd been leaning against the wall watching the girl, his sharp features outlined by a shaft of moonlight that had broken through a bank of clouds drifting lazily across the sky. He'd been attracted to this place by the intoxicating aroma of her blood, yet he had refrained from touching a single drop of it. He could sense that Umah would soon be growing impatient and possibly seek him out, but he was not concerned as he wasn't a dog that would take orders, let along from the likes of her. A low growl escaped his maw at the thought as he tapped a claw against the fastening strap of his shoulder plate. His pale, stony gray skin that resembled almost the smooth texture of marble was scathed in places by the scars of many battles past. His harsh, serious gold eyes were narrowed slightly as he crouched forward to examine the girl at a better angle. His long, off-white hair that was on the borderline of being silver, fell down over his shoulders slightly as he did. Was she dead? No, it was impossible for he could still detect the beat of her heart, faint though it was. His facial expression was contorted into a mask of confusion._ What do I care for the life of a mere mortal female?!_ The man thought bitterly. _I should have ended her pitiful existence the moment I laid eyes on her and went on my way yet...I stay and wait for her to stir._ He assumed that perhaps, in his mindset, it would be much more entertaining to kill her while she is fully conscious. The aroma of the scarlet liquid dashed about was certainly enough to drive any uncivilized creature mad with thirst, but he'd learned over his many centuries of existence a level of restraint. His arm fluidly stretched out toward her, using only his long pallid fingers to turn her face toward his own. At the foreign sensation of his touch, she whimpered in intense pain and instinctually attempted to shrug away from him.

The man was taken aback by this sudden action and actually felt a bit appalled at her , he was a killer himself, but he would never attempt to kill in such a violent manner unless he was enraged. He typically made his kills short, swift, and merciful. But whatever cruel, sick person had done this to someone so defenseless deserved to be gutted and have their throat torn out while their heat remained beating. Bruises were visible spreading along her neck as if she had been strangled by an unforgiving grasp and the gash running along her temple must have been an attack assumed to have ended her life before that savage that had done the act ran off. It was this girl's fortune to have fallen unconscious when she did. He moved closer out of sheer curiosity when she began to stir. Her body quivered with intense pain and fatigue and she was obviously disoriented. She felt as if every inch of her body had been emerced in water and she was just snaking her way onto dry land. Before she had even opened her eyes, she could feel the cold air in the place of the warm drafts that had wafted away from her fire and knew that she no longer had the protection of its illumination. She could also sense the strange man's uncomfortably close proximity. As her eyes slowly opened, she looked up at his form looming over her like a predator, his golden eyes glowing softly in the word seared through her thoughts at that instant: Vampire. As utterly fatigued as she was, a shrill scream passed her lips as she hugged herself close to the stone wall, sending an intense spasm of pain throughout her frail body. She was cornered in that pathetic, wooden shack while her impending death loomed overtop of her. Feeling her intense distress, her shrill scream still ringing in his ears, he shifted his body backward a short distance.

"P-please don't k-kill me!" she whimpered in a desperate, pleading tone as she made a pitiful attempt to sheild her face with her hands. He chuckled softly in amusement at this action.

"If I wanted to kill you, I would have done so already, child" he said softly in an almost sympathetic tone. His voice was routh, but oddly smooth and calming at the same time. He frowned slightly as her sobbing had yet to still. "I assure you that I have no intentions of harming you," he murmured calmly, once again extending his hand out toward her._ At least not yet_, he thought slowly.

She shrunk back like a whipped dog, squeezing her eyes shut as tears careened down her face, creating red streaks as they intermixed with her blood. She was cold, sick from blood loss, and in excruciating pain. Every so often, she would steal a fearful glance at him until she felt his hand resting lightly against the smooth skin of her exposed cheek, the cold, somewhat callused skin feeling foreign against her own. Her heart, which had been so still moments before, was now frantically beating as she stared at the vampire dumbfounded. _W-what is he doing? Why hasn't he tried yet to claim my life?_ she thought, but figured it would spare her more time if she kept her thoughts to herself. With great effort, she weakly managed to shrug her body into a sitting position as she blinked away a few stray tears. The cloud bank that had previously shrouded the moon and had long since drifted away, sending the bright light down into the alleyway to better illuminate the vampire's features. His skin was smooth as marble, yet it revealed the scars of many battles, and lean, hardened muscles could be seen flexing beneath the surface. His torso was entirely exposed other than the fastening straps that held his shoulder plates firmly to him. As faint as it was, she could not fight the blush that rushed into her pallid cheeks, ans she was certain that this change in temperature was detectable beneath his cool palm.. She shivered and leaned into his hand slightly, her eyes meeting his and strangely being unable to look away. Her breath hitched in her throat as he leaned his face toward her own, the blush intensifying as her pale blue eyes widened. She could feel his cool breath tickle across her already sensitive skin. She allowed them to close, expecting both the best and the worst.

He felt as if he wasn't in control of his own actions at this point. The closer he drew her face to his, the more he saw her as both a beauty and prey, and if his heart still had the capability to beat as hers did, it would have been racing. His own eyes were closed as he attempted to enjoy the strange sensations he had not felt in many, many years, lightly caressing her cheek with his thumb as he stopped her face barely an inch away from her own. W-what am I doing? What is this madness!? His thoughts screamed to his as his lips parted slightly. Before he had the chance to close the distance between them and allow their lips to meld together, an angered female's voice sliced through the silence like a blade, sounding more similar to the hiss of an enraged viper.

"KAIN!"

Both the girl and the vampire looked up in shock, brought back to their harsh reality.


	2. First Impressions

**_A.N.- Sorry for the long wait. Finally, here it is and I'm sorry it's a tad short. Please feel free to leave feedback with opinion and maybe suggestions :)_**

**_~S.F.127_**

**_~:Chapter Two:~_**

**_First Impressions_**

"What I choose to do is none of your concern, Umah!" Kain growled harshly as the pair circled each other, like predators sizing their opponent up before clashing. Her violet hued eyes were narrow in anger at the stupidity she had witnessed. Her lips were curled back over her fangs and she shook her head irately, muttering obscenities under her breath, sending scrutinizing glares back and forth from Kain to the girl. The girl was huddled back against the brick wall, hardly daring to breath, her eyes red from the tears that poured out. To her, the vampiress' glares felt like acid burning through her skin, poisonous to anywhere it touched.

"You are a fool!" The woman, Umah, snapped as she flexed her claws, "She could put the Cabal in jeopardy!"

_Jeopardize the Cabal?_ the girl thought with a confused expression. She watched as Kain crossed his arms and sent a harsh glare Umah's way, his brow raised disdainfully at her words. He shook his head and a low growl rumbled in his chest as he took a few steps toward her head held high in arrogance.

"What harm could she possibly bring?!" Kain protested angrily, extending his hand in the girl's direction. She draped her hand angrily across her face with a hiss of anger and glared at him acidly.

"We do not have the time to sit idly by with human scum such as her. We must get to sanctuary before sunrise!" She began to scold in a low hiss, but then took a deep breath. "You are a complete idiot. If you bring her, she is your charge, not mine, and you will be the one explaining your new plaything to our leader!"

She skirted up the nearest wall, dashing over the rooftops in an eastern direction, leaving the girl alone with Kain. Her breath hitched in her throat as he turned to face her, and she began to cry a fresh wave of tears, shielding her face as he approached slowly and crouched down in front of her. She felt a cold chill race down her spine as he tilted her head up slightly with his fingertips, a squeak of fear escaping her maw. I don't want to die yet, she thought as she trembled beneath Kain's strangely gentle touch. His behavior was utterly confusing to her and she fought to swallow the lump in her throat. Tentatively, she opened her eyes just a sliver and saw him looking down at her, his keen gaze scanning her over for further injuries, lightly running his fingertips along her skin. She averted her gaze when his eyes met hers, unwilling to look into the eyes of a predator. She crossed her arms across her chest as a cool breeze rustled her hair, a few stray strands whipping around her face.

"You are afraid," he said softly, his voice somewhat deep and scratchy from lack of conversing in a casual manner. "I'm not going to hurt you." He paused for a moment and closed his golden eyes in thought. "May I ask your name?"

The girl bit her lip, drawing a minute amount of blood, which made Kain stiffen slightly as he took a deep breath to inhale the sweet aroma. "M-my name is E-Elana..." she stuttered quietly, wiping away the tears which poured from her reddened eyes. She felt his palm rest against her bruised cheek, almost forcing her to turn her face toward his to avoid the foreign feeling of his touch. As frightening as he was, she found Kain to be quite handsome for being a vampire that is, and what little blood she could muster rushed to her pale cheeks, tinting them slightly pink. A quiet laugh of amusement was elicited from him as this reaction, for never had he sen it occur before. He pulled away from her, stretching to relieve the kinks in his muscles, before reaching for her hand to hoist her to her feet. When she refused to take his hand on her own, he shook his head and wrapped his pallid digits around her frail wrist and pulled upward. She cried out in pain, barely able to stand on her feet alone.

"I refuse to leave you here so you are coming with me," he stated, not giving her a chance to protest before scooping her up and slinging her onto his back with an unreadable expression, but Elana felt that he was entirely too amused by this. He held her there until she stopped struggling and just clung there, her hot tears spilling down her cheeks. His hair had a silken texture against her neck and she found it oddly comforting to lean against it. Her smirked in victory as they began to proceed forth together.

_This isn't going to end well_... She thought, her eyes drooping in fatigue, his rocking motion as he walked lulling her to sleep, her head draping over his shoulder as she went under.


	3. The Heavy Weight of Doubt

**~:Chapter 3:~**

**The Heavy Weight of Doubt**

Elana awoke to the shadows of dancing firelight dancing beneath her eyelids, and slowly, she cracked her eyes open enough to see a blazing flame flickering atop a mound of scrap wood a few feet away. A long shadow was being cast on the opposite wall, and she looked up at Kain looming over her, glancing down at her occasionally with sharp, golden eyes. His arms were crossed and he leaned slightly against the wall, hardly moving. Quickly, she shut her eyes and attempted to feign sleep, wrapped in the fervent heat of the blaze, until his quiet voice cut through the relative silence. The hairs on the back of her neck prickled and she bite her lip shivering, her gaze crawling back toward his, though not directly meeting it.

"You need not feign sleep with me. I cause sense whether or not you are truly awake," he said calmly. He crouched down to eye level with her, and furrowed his brow as she shrunk back with a whimper. Her eyes searched his face, and she gasped quietly when she saw fresh, crimson blood staining his lower lip.

Tears sprung to her eyes as her hand flew to her neck where she felt a nearly healed bite marring it's smooth surface. Her body started quivering uncontrollably as tears rolled down her cheeks, and she thrashed as he moved to push her to the ground to prevent her escape, his lip curled back over his teeth as a low growl was produced from low in his throat. He knelt over her, his knees holding down her frail arms, a hands firmly gripping her throat, and the other held over her mouth to stifle her terrified screams. She was certain his keen ears could detect her rapidly beating heart, pounding fiercely against her rib cage. She fought against his powerful grip, her legs kicking at the open air, arching against him in an attempt to throw him off balance, heaving for breath though his grip on her throat was not tight enough to cut off her air supply. _H-He's trying to tire me out,_ she thought, groaning at the strained sensation her muscles were producing. Her head slumped against the ground as well as her limbs, her struggles ceasing as she looked up at him with a trembling lip. His grip loosened, but he kept her pinned down as he tentatively brushed the hair out of her face, tracing a claw along her temple where a vicious gash had once been. He shifted, taking one of her hands on his own and repeating the soothing motion, his expression relaxing as hers contorted in shock and amazement.

"It's...it's..." Elana stammered as her fingers palpated the surface tenderly. He tipped her face toward his and leaned in close, his cool breath tickling her sensitive skin.

"It's almost healed yes, but I couldn't complete the process before you began to rouse," he finished, tapping the bite mark on her neck lightly with a claw. A horrified look crossed her expression for a moment, but he raised a hand to silence her before she could speak. "I do not refer to the process of changing you. That is far more complicated and I have yet to understand how it works."

"S-So you didn't finish then?" She stuttered, vainly protecting her neck with her freed arm. He shook his head from side to side in answer, eliciting a whimper from her. He stroked her hair sympathetically, confusing himself by his strangely caring behavior, turning her head aside to expose the tender skin of her neck. She didn't have the strength to resist, her heart picking up its rapid pace again as he drew her up toward his waiting fangs, stopping just inches shy of their viciously sharp lengths. _I must be going mad after two hundred years of dormancy_, he thought, a slight touch of what he considered humor dashing the words. _But this girl...there's just something about her..._

"That's what I plan on doing now," he said in a gravelly voice, his cold lips brushing against her overheated flesh with each individual word.

He positioned his fangs over the previous bite, and swiftly, they sliced through the surface as he buried them deeply into her flesh, blood welling into his mouth. A deep growl rumbled like thunder in his chest as she cried out, her hands shoving against his torso vainly. Her skin was ghostly pale with the amount of blood she had lost previous to their first encounter, so he had to be precise with what he was doing, for her knew if he did not, this unfortunate girl could die. His hand grasped her hair and gingerly wrenched her head further aside. From the corner of his mouth, a drop of scarlet rolled down his chin as he pulled away and allowed her to rest against the ground. Even though his heart was dead, it ached with the pain he'd caused her, and he looked down upon the sobbing female with concern, a slight frown tipping down the corners of his mouth. She winced as his saliva stung the wound, feeling a similar sensation pricking her temple as she wiped her salty tears away. She felt delirious and struggled to maintain her balance as she inched closer to the small fire shivering. _I'm still alive...he...he didn't kill me...yet,_ she thought as she stared into the flickering hues of red and orange. She felt a strong hand rest upon her left shoulder and knew he was crouching behind her, his harsh golden stare piercing her like razor blades, though it did not feel malicious.

"How do you feel?" Kain simply asked, a few stray locks of his long, silvery hair tickling the nape of her neck._ Oh perfectly dandy, _she was tempted to say but refrained from opening her maw.

"Better," Elana mumbled Ina reluctant tone as she grazed her fingertips along where the wounds had once been but were now mere scars. Strangely, her gratitude was sincere toward this vampire who'd now saved her on more than one occasion and she felt she owed him. She did not know what she could possibly give to him, but she knew it had to be something equal to the favor he'd granted her. Taking a deep breath, she entwined her hand with his own as it was offered to he her to her feet, embarrassed slightly by her tattered, blood stained garments. He mumbled something about that being another thing he'd planned on fixing, and that had made her face turn scarlet with the embarrassment she felt.

They left the fire to staunch itself and proceeded down the dimly lit tunnel, Elana leaning heavily against Kain for support. Her entire life, she'd grown up to believe all the horrid tales that were spoken of the vampire race, but now she began to doubt whether they were all true. She heard some tales about this one in particular when her nana told grand stories of how the Saraphan Lord defeated him in a mighty battle. She heard that he was ambitious, sadistic, tyrannical, and cruel, but now, her head filled with endless doubt. She looked straight ahead as they emerged from the darkness, brilliant moonlight against her back once more.


	4. Inner Conflict

**AN- So, how do you think the story is coming along so far? How do you think Umah is feeling about this situation so far? Feedback is welcome and :)**

**-S.F. 127**

**~:Chapter 4:~**

**Inner Conflict**

The graveyard was silent aside from the distant thrum of voices and the muffled footsteps of Kain and Elana as they emerged from the maw of the sewer tunnel. The crisp, cool air was a much welcome relief to the offensive aroma they had endured. An eerie fog wove itself in a serpentine fashion around the tombstones below, hovering just about the dull blades of grass that appeared as if they had been deprived of proper sunlight for far too long. A chill crept down her spine as she set foot on the first step of a short staircase, stopping momentarily to observe her surroundings, a dagger that had been given to her clutched tightly against her chest. She craned her head to glance back at Kain who had paused as well, and her face contorted in confusion as she took note of a faint glow about his form. She tilted her head, searching through her memories of tales woven by her family, but none could explain the curious behavior. For a few moments, he stood in this still fashion before he proceeded wordlessly past her. The moment he stepped foot into the fog, he seemed to disappear, and Elana's eyes strained to make out the very subtle outline as he moved toward the opposite end of the graveyard. She followed as silently as she could, awe struck by this occurrence, and observed from behind a cold, granite stone.

A frail, peasant man was pleading beneath a looming thug who was prowling toward him, a weapon grasped firmly in hand, preparing to bludgeon his helpless prey. She'd not expected a sight like this when she had detected the dull thrum of voices in her ear when she first set foot in this horrid place. She watched unmoving as the thug drew nearer and nearer to the frantic peasant. Time seemed to slow around her, and she shut her eyes tight, refusing to watch the violent display. A sick, gurgling choke sliced the silence of the moment, and instinctively, Elana's eyes sprung open to witness the thug collapse to the ground, blood pouring from his throat. The haze around him wavered and Kain crouched down to feed on the blood of his foolish prey, indifferent to the screams of the terrified man who'd witnessed the kill firsthand. After wiping the scarlet fluid from his lips, he sprung on the peasant next, dispatching him quickly with one blow to the temple. She let out a cry and Kain pivoted around to face her for he hadn't known that she'd witness him kill. She screeched as he proceeded toward her, his face a mask of an unreadable emotion. _I didn't want her to see me kill. Not yet..._he thought bitterly, cursing his carelessness.

She cringed back into the fetal position as he stood over her, his jaw hanging slightly as he though of anything he could possibly say to ease her distress. A pang of guilt struck him as he watched a tear careen down her cheek, and his eyes tracked its movement until it splashed onto the fine stone. Uncaring to the fact that Umah could be observing his foolishly unnatural behavior, he knelt down and tenderly touched his fingertips to her pallid cheek, minding his claws carefully. Beneath his sensitive touch, her could feel her subtle quivering. What was it about this human that had elicited these feelings? Emotions that he had not experienced in countless years? Her eyes wandered up to his own and her heart gave a slight tug, and slowly, she maneuvered herself to her feet.

"I apologize," he said quietly, earning only a shrug in response from Elana. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, nervously aware of the punt tint in her cheeks where his fingertips had rested. A subtle grin touched his lips for a moment at her curious reaction.

"It's fine..." she murmured hesitantly, "it's just what you do I suppose."

He nodded slowly in partial agreement. _I don't always kill..._ he thought, but kept his lips sealed. He tentatively rested his hand on her shoulder and silently guided her forward toward a small building where the thorn in his side awaited. Elana cringed back at the site of Umah with a frightened gasp, jerking away from her and hitting the grassy ground with a dull thud. She merely scoffed and shot a glare at Kain. She shook her head disapprovingly at the display she had witness occur between the pair and fought to keep her irritation level in check. Elana took a moment while Umah wasn't glaring down at her to study her figure. She had to admit, she was a rather pretty, for a vampiress that is. Her skin bore a very pale purple tint and her body shown curves that most women would die for. It only added to the inferiority she felt. She was underfed and unkempt, her blonde hair a mess as it wavered behind her. She now where near matched this women in beauty nor grace. She kept her eyes locked onto her trembling hands as Kain pulled her up against his side and kept a firm grasp around her waist. Strangely, she felt comfort in this gesture.

"Hmph. So you're still dragging the little wretch along with you? I didn't figure it would last this far with you," Umah sneered nastily in regards to Elana, who felt a surge of anger at the insult, but held her tongue. "It's your choice to carry dead weight. Go the the Eastern bridge. It's not much farther from here and will take us to the lower city."

Shooting a sneering glance at Elana, she disappeared yet again, gracefully bounding over the nearest rooftop and out of sight. She blinked. She saw something aside from malice in Umah's eyes in that moment that they met her own. _Was it jealousy?_ she thought, bewildered. _Or was it something else? _


End file.
